ashley



(No Model.)

A. CLARA a@ B.. A. an o. ASHLEY.

ENDLBSS GUTTING APPARATUS.

Patentedf'eb. 5, 1889.

(AAM- IINTTED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

ASA CLARK, ROBERT A. ASHLEY, AND CHARLES ASHLEY, OF STOCKTON,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO SAID ASA CLARK AND ROBERT A. ASHLEY, AND LUCIUSE. ASHLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

ENDLESS CUTTING APPARATUS.

Sl ECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,224, dated February5, 1889.

Application tiled November 16, 1887. Serial No. 255,364. (No model.)

T0 all whom it 71mg/ concern.-

Be it known that we, ASA CLARK, ROBERT A. ASHLEY, and CHARLES ASHLEY,citizens of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the countyof SanJoaquin and State of California, have invented certain newand usefulImprovements in Endless Cutting Apparatus; and we do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, referencebein g h ad to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters and figures of .reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Our invention has relation to improvements in an endless cuttingapparatus for harvesters and the like; and the novelty consists in thepeculiar combination, arrangement, and adaptation of the various partsfor service, as will be hereinafter more fully Set forth, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention and its advantages will be fully understood from thefollowing descripy tures through which a bolt or rivet. is passed tionand claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l. is a top plan of ourimproved endless cuttingapparatusfor harvesters and the like, with parts removed to more clearly show theinterior mechanism thereof. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of thelinger-bar. Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of a portion of the endlesschain, showing the links and plate, to which latter the cutter-bladesare adapted to be Secured. Fig. t is a detail perspective view et' oneof the guard-fingers, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one ofthe cutters.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures oi' the drawings, in which- C denotes the nger-bar, consti-ucied of wood or other desired material, said bar C being formed in itsupper forward portion with a cut-away part or recess, in or upon whichis adapted to be iitted an angle-iron bar, C. This finger-bar C isadapted to be seated and supported in the usual manner upon the timbersof the platform of an ordinary harvester, mower, reaper, or header, andthe like. The forward vertical flange of the angle-bar C is providedwith a series of apertures, by means of which the guard-fingers may besecured thereto. These guard-fingers B are of the ordinary pattern,having the usual longitudinal slot made therein. The guard-fingers arealso provided at their rear end with a vertical plate or flange havingapertures, as shown in detail. (See Fig. l.) By this means it will beclearly understood how the Fingers are attached to the forward verticalflange of the angle-iron C. To the inner side of this vertical wall Ipreferably secure a plate, e, which is designed to serve as a protectionfor the said vertical wall to prevent the same from undue wear caused bythe endless cutter-chain striking it at that point.

F F designate rollers, around which is adapted to travel the usual apronor draper.Y

The endless cutter comprises the chain belt H, which is composed oflinks, every alternate one of which is provided with a horizontalcutter-carrying plate K, that is adapted to support a cutter-blade, A.The Said plate K and the cutter A are each provided with aperwhichsecurely holds them together, or they may be fastened in any otherdesired manner. At one end of the finger-bar C, preferably the inner,the chain l-I extends around a sprocketwheel, O, mounted upon a suitableShaft journaled in the finger-bar in any preferred manner. Thissprocket-wheel O is provided with a bevel gear-wheel, which engages witha corresponding bevel gear-wheel mounted upon a shaft, D, which latteris thereby adapted to drive the aforesaid cutter-chain.

At or near the other or outer end of the linger-bar the chain H ispassed around a pulley, E, mounted upon a shaft journaled in alongitudinal slot, 72., formed in the finger-bar, the function of whichwill be presently explained.

It will be observed that by having the an gle-bar Cl constructed withthe vertical flange and the finger-bar with the recess or cut-away parta guideway, I, is provided, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 ol' the drawings,which extends longitudinally the entire length of the ngerbar C, and inthis guideway I the endless chain is adapted to travel.

It will be Seen from Fig. l of the drawings that as the chain travelsalong and within the guidewayl the cutters carried by the said chainslide and pass over the edge of the vertieal ilange of bar (l throughthe slots ot' the guard-fingers l.

ln order to prevent i he two parallel portions of the endless chain llfrom striking and rubhingagainst each other, we provide a thin strip, a,preferably of wood, whieh is placed between the said portions oi thechain and extend along' the bar C, the path of the said ehain, and isfirmly held in position by having its lower edge secured to the,horizontal portion oil the angle-bar C by suitable bolts or otherwise.This chain may be, il' desired, entirely housed or covered by securing athin bar, P, of iron or other suitable material, at its t'ront edge tothe upper surface olf the separating-plate u, and at its rear edge tothe rear side ot' the finger-bar as clearly shown in Fig'. 2 oli' thedrawings.

In the event of the endless chain becoming worn to suoli an extent thatit will becon'ie loose or sag, or when it Vis found necessary toregulate the tension of the same in any way, we have provided a tighteningdeviee, (marked (4,) as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

lt will be observed from Fig. l of the draw- Vings that the shaftcarryingI the pulley .E journaled inthe slot in the bar C, (marked 7L.)

J is a post or brack et havi n a threaded b earing for the threadedtightening-rd j, such as usuallyT employed in machines of thischaracter. The other ends of the rods have eyes that are adapted tdeneirele the ends of the shaft earrying the pulley E.

Having described our invention7 what we claim isl. The bar (l, havingits forward upper side recessed, as shown, in combinatioll with theangle-iron seeured in the saidrecess, the vertical strip u, secured tothe angle-iron a short distance behind its vertical liang'e, themetallic strip l), secured upon the top of the har C and extending` overthe strip a, the guard-lingers having` 1 )erforated attaching-flanges,the endless chain composed of the links and alternate] yar-rangedperforated plates upon which the cutters are secured, and means fordriving the endless chain, substantially as specilied.

2. The coinbination, with the ba'r(f,havi1ngl i ts lorward upper siderecessed, as shown, ot' the angle-iron secured in the said recess andhaving` the vertical 'flange perforated, the vertical strip a, securedto the angle-iron a short distance behind the vertical vflange, thechain composed of the links and alternately-arranged perforated plates,the cutters, the sprocket-wheel O at one endet' the finger-bar, thebevel-gear on the shaft D, meshing with the sprocket-plied, and thepulley .E at the opposite end ot' said bar, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ASA CLARK. ROBT. A. ASHLEY. CHARLES ASHLEY. Witnesses:

JOSHUA B. WEBSTER, CHARLES H. WYMAN.

